Mielke reports improved morale in 1st year

Wausau Mayor Robert Mielke (right) talks with Nick O'Brien, MCDEVCO community engagement specialist, after Mielke's first State of the City speech on April 20, 2017, in City Hall.(Photo: Nora G. Hertel/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin)Buy Photo

WAUSAU - Mayor Robert Mielke first wanted to alleviate internal tensions at City Hall when he took office a year ago, and that's what he's done, Mielke said at the start of his State of the City address on Thursday.

"We in elected city office had no place to go but up," Mielke said.

Tension among city leaders and staff formed a roadblock to Wausau's marketing and problem-solving efforts, he said in a speech reflecting on his first year in office.

Some of that tension stemmed from a controversial investigation of former City Council member and mayoral candidate Keene Winters. Mielke surpassed Winters in a primary election and beat Jay Kronenwetter to become mayor in the April 2016 election.

Mielke said any favoritism in City Hall is gone and staff are treated equally. In his first year, Mielke started meeting regularly with City Council President Lisa Rasmussen. He attends meetings of neighborhood groups and city commissions, he said, and he strives to be open to the media and residents.

In the coming year, he said he plans to meet with business leaders on a regular basis and hold educational sessions with neighborhood and other groups about tax increment financing — the use of special tax districts to fuel economic development.

Wausau Mayor Robert Mielke shakes hands with new police officer Christopher Piasecki in January 2017 in Wausau's City Hall.(Photo: Arielle Hines/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin)

Mielke said he wants to improve safety measures at City Hall. He's seen firsthand some inappropriate behavior by visitors in the City Clerk's office and said he wants to keep staff and the public safe. Marathon County officials are currently developing new safety measures for the courthouse.

"It is a different world today," Mielke said of workplace safety. "I don't want to make a fortress or anything like that."

In the coming months, he said he and other officials will gather information about safety in City Hall.

In his conclusion of the first known State of the City speech, Mielke urged residents to contact him and attend the city's public meetings.

"I'm very normal, very down-to-earth most days," he said. "I truly love this city and care about the residents and their needs."

Wausau Mayor Robert Mielke, listens as Christian Schock, interim director of Planning, Community, and Economic Development, talks about the Wausau Riverlife Development as it undergoes renovation to include a new wharf, bike paths and lighting on November 21, 2016, in Wausau, Wisconsin, and will be finished within the next few years.(Photo: Tyler Rickenbach/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin)